We Were Born for This
by Bu5yBea
Summary: Clarke and Lexa are pretty cute living in Polis.
1. You Are Safe

It's ok, You're safe:

It takes Clarke a few days to walk to the statue of Lincoln, the grounder a use this place to resolve conflicts. She sees Lexa, not in her Commander gear, just her regular lovely face in a tunic and jacket. Her heart sinks, for a moment, before Lexa notices she's there Clarke just watches her. Someone in the woods whistles and Lexa looks up from her dagger to find Clarke emerging from the thick woods. She is doing her best to look unaffected. Lexa knows this posture. Clarke has new gear, she must have found a useful stash on her walk. She's wearing a backpack, a new jacket and her pistol sits neatly in a holster, not in her hands as had been her style; making her look much less menacing. But Lexa knows better, she knows Clarke's mightiest weapon... her words.

Lexa slowly gets up from where she had been sitting, "I was hoping Lincoln would have told you about this place." Starts walking towards Clarke, "I heard about your defeat of the Mountain Men and hoped you would come here to find me."

Clarke stops walking and stands defiantly, hands resting in her backpack strap. "Sorry to keep you waiting it's been over a week since you abandoned me. " Snark is seething from her mouth. Her anger is starting to build up.

Lexa continues to walks closer to Clarke, they are standing only a few feet away from each other. Their faces riddled with emotion: pain, guilt, fear, anger. Clarke starts to feel her resolve fading, she shifts her weight and looks away from Lexa's face. Looking into those eyes was just too powerful.

Clarke finally breaks the silence, "I should have known better than to trust you. Now I know why it's so hard for you, you can't trust because you aren't trustworthy." She watches Lexa put her dagger away, as she starts to look up at her she looks away again. "All of those lives we sacrificed: Finn, the people of TonDC, my people, your warriors. It was for nothing."

Lexa's face is wrecked with frustration, she is not used to being spoken to this way. She must keep her temper in check, she is here to apologize to make things right. She struggles with her words "Clarke please let me explain. Did you see how many people I was loosing? I'm responsible for everyone of those deaths. How many more would you have me sacrifice for your cause?"

"I didn't come here to absolve you Lexa." Clarke rips back. "You broke our truce, not to mention my trust, and left us there to die!" Her anger is getting the best of her, she came here with the hope that Lexa would take her to Polis, so she could start fresh, be in a place where no one knew her. But now her vision is blurry and she is shaking with rage, her fists are clenched arms straight at her sides.

Lexa swallows hard, she deserves all of this, her betrayal was unforgivable "Clarke, you know what it's like to be responsible for other's lives. My objective was to free my people from the tyranny of Mount Weather and to get you and your people inside. When I had done both my job as Commander was over, I had to get my people out of these. Clarke please understand, I couldn't losing people there to satisfy your vendetta." Lexa steps forward inches from Clarke , starts to reach out for her.

"Don't you touch me!" Clarke yells and pushes Lexa hard, maybe a little too hard, Lexa winces, doubles over and let's out a howl in pain. Clarke's anger quickly dissolves into concern, thinking back to their encounter with the gorilla and how she masked her pain then, this must be serious.

Clarke rushes to help, but Lexa puts out her arm, looks up, "I'm alright"

"You are clearly not." It suddenly dawns on Clarke that Lexa isn't wearing her Commander's stole. She looks suddenly so vulnerable, the sight of Lexa so vulnerable is like a cooling glass of water on her rage. "Please, let me see." Her voice full of compassion, Lexa lifts her shirt with a wince and Clarke can see a bruise on the side of her rib cage from her armpit to the bottom of her ribs, quite a little bit of swelling too. Clarke gets very close to examine her, "How did this happen? How long has it been like this?"

"It happened as we were flanking the shooters, it's been getting bigger." Her breathing is clearly laboured. "I can handle it, I just can't ride, or get punched, apparently." Clarke smiles a bit, Lexa sees this and feels a rush of hope.

"I think you are bleeding internaly, Lexa, we have to do something you could die." Clarke is inches away from her, with her right hand holding up the shirt now, she examines with her left. Lexa's skin is hot, maybe running a fever, the skin is tight, she pushes on it gently to feel for broken ribs and Lexa faints from the pain. Clarke manages to catch her before she hits the ground, she looks around for the commander's guard, before she can yell for help the tall trees produce two large men.

One of them is the guard Clarke saved Octavia from. "What did you do to her?!"

"Nothing!" says Clarke as the Lexa is pulled out of her arms.

"I saw you touch her! What did you do?!"

"She is very seriously hurt. We need to get her back to TonDC." One of the two men scoops up Lexa and carries her off. "Be careful with her!" Clarke demands. When they arrive in TonDC Indira is there to greet Clarke with a scowl.

"What happened here? What did you do? " Lexa is still unconscious.

"She has internal bleeding, I need some tools to heal her or she will die." Indira looks at Lexa and at Clarke in disbelief , "My healer will help her, we don't need you. "

"Indira no! Please! I've seen this before!" Emotions flood her face, as she thinks back at to the time when Finn had Lincoln's knife in his chest. She looks past Indira, to the healer standing behind her, she knows this man, they have worked together before. "I need a small clean knife, a small plastic tube flexible and smaller than my finger, and something to clean my hands with!" He goes off, tells the guard where to take Lexa.

Clarke follows the guard down to a large room, Clarke recognizes this place from the banquet. It is mid-day, the sun is beating in, if she work's fast she won't need candles. It's mostly clean, there is a table, and some of what Clarke asked for. As Lexa is set down on the table, the healer walks in with the rest of the supplies. Lexa starts to wake up. Clarke has her back to the table cleaning her hands when she notices the healer, his expression could only mean one thing, Lexa is awake, "I need you to lie still, I have to cut you." This last bit of information brings deep concern to Lexa's face, she struggles to sit up. "Someone is going to have to hold her down." The room is silent, no one moves not without an express order from the commander. Clarke, softens her approach, touches Lexa's arm and explains, "You have at least one broken rib, you may have a ruptured spleen, your chest is filling up with your own blood, it's why you can't breath well and your heart is racing. I need to let that blood out so you can start to heal."

"Death is not the end Clarke," Lexa looks at her healer, "he will care for me in our own way." Clarke turns to look at him, he steps forward to take a look at the swelling.

With deep concern he implores in trigedasleng, "Hedda, please, let her heal you."

"Please. Trust me." These words sink into Lexa's chest like a stone. She looks at the faces in the room, all riddled with concern. Clarke is standing in front of her, still touching her arm, she looks down at her hand and back up to her blue eyes. "I do trust you Clarke." She shifts her weight to lay back down, Clarke helps her with a hand behind her head.

The healer still speaking to his commander in trigedasleng in an effort to calm her, "This will help you sleep." The healer hands her a small vial, she quickly drinks it, takes a deep breath, winces in pain and closes her eyes.

It's much darker now, Clarke has been sitting next to Lexa, periodically taking her pulse, checking for signs of infection. Lexa begins to wake up, reaching to investigate and touch the pain in her side. Clarke catches her hand, and stops this dangerous exploration. "You are starting to heal already. Can you breath a little better?" Lexa nods. Clarke reaches back for a cup with water, helps Lexa lift her head and gives her a drink. "You have been out for two days. It's good sign, you are healing so fast."

"Thank you Clarke."

Clarke smiles, " Are you hungry? there is some soup here." Lexa nods and struggles to sit up. "Don't, you'll make it worse. Please lie still." Clarke starts to feed Lexa some soup, for a while they say nothing. Lexa starts to feel her emotions welling up, she is ashamed of how kind Clarke is, it only serves as a reminder of how deeply her deception wounded Clarke.

"Clarke, when I got hurt up on the ridge, I had a moment to asses how many people I had lost. In that moment Emmerson approached me with a truce. " She begins to tear up, "I'm sorry Clarke, for pain I caused you, for my betrayal and for losing your trust."

Clarke is nodding, she understands, the loss of life from that day haunts almost her every thought.

"I understand." Clarke who is sitting on the table next to Lexa leans in for a kisses, deep and full of sorrow. Lexa torso naked except for the bandages and gauze keeping her wound clean. Lexa's hair lays on her naked back, Clarke's left hand sneaks down from Lexa's neck, the length of her back under that thick next of braids, and rest on her hip. Lexa's hands reach up to cradle Clarke's face. Clarke loses herself in the moment, kissing Lexa, feeling her breath on her face, her warm hands reaching up, touching her skin. As the girls kiss and embrace a sliver of moonlight shimmers through the clouds and illuminates them like a couple of iridescent nymphs. Lexa's hands are warm on Clark's face and neck.

Outside there is a prolonged howl. Clarke pulls away startled and looks all around landing her eyes back on Lexa, "What was that?"

"It's ok, you're safe"


	2. Luna

Lexa's home is sprawling compared to where Clarke grew up. Today it is a particularly bright day, light bounces and fills the room. Everything has a place; there is one big table in the center of the space, with a few maps, but for the most part everything is put away, organized, Lexa explained that it makes it easier to leave in a hurry. In a corner there is a large bed, cotton linen and pillows. Polis is right on the water and is quite the trade hub. In a corner there is a wooden chair surrounded by unexpected mess: a pile of clothing, shoes, backpack, canvases, pencil shavings; this is Clarke's corner.

The small blonde sits in a plush chair, under the a window opposite the bed, warming her legs in the sun, she has found a small object: almost flat, square, about the size of a two inch tile, there is a small screen and a circle about an inch in diameter on one side, on the other it's polished metal, a wire dangles off it with little rubber balls at the end. "Lexa, what is this?" she says in a loud voice.

"I don't know why you insist on talking to me when I'm not in the room with you." Lexa comes into the large space from around a corner, drying her hair.

"Because I like that you come looking for me." a sly smirk on Clarke's face. "And I like the way your face looks when you find me." Lexa leans down, close enough to couch Clarke's face with her own and looks at the device in her hands.

"It's for music. It was Anya's, she gave it to me when I became Commander." Lexa smelled of soap, Clarke scanned the emerald eyes before her for sadness, none could be found. "It has music in it from the late 20th century, it gives me energy and focus for when I'm training. Anya said it would help me think more clearly, focus my energy on solving difficult tasks." Lexa rests her on Clarke's, "Are you going to get dressed today? I love having a half naked girl available to me all day, but..." She finally straightens up and looks down at Clarke who is only wearing her Wisconsin tshirt for the second day in a rowe.

"How does it work?" Clarke asks ignoring the quip, she doesn't even look up from the device, unmoved from her perch in the sunlight.

"I'll show you if you come with me to the meeting of the Clans today." Finally the small blonde looks up and nods, Lexa points out the window, "I have to connect it to the solar panel every so often so it will work." Clarke has been isolated in Lexa's home for a few weeks, when they first got to Polis, she would wander around town, seeing shops, meeting people. As word about her annihilation of spread she went out less and less. She left Camp Jaha because she couldn't handle how everyone looked at her, even her closest friends seemed to fear her. The news of her ruthless tactics against the Mountain Men had a different effect on the people of Polis. They idolized her.

Clarke shifts in her chair making space for Lexa to sit with her. Lexa in the space Clarke made between her outstretched legs and leans back laying on Clarke. Reaching back, tucks blonde locks behind an ear and gently inserts the earbud, the other goes in her own ear. Clarke's arms and legs are now wrapped around Lexa's torso. Clarke in hairs excitedly the smell of soap and skin a smile still beaming, she lands a few soft kisses on Lexa's shoulder and neck sucking up the few drops of water still left there from this morning's bath. Lexa turns her face and they kiss, soft and sweet. "I'm so pleased you came with me to Polis, Clarke. I want to show you everything about our world." Clarke kisses her again, one hand cradling her lover's jaw.

"Stop stalling, show me how this thing works." Clarke demands.

As Lexa flips through the menus, Clarke hears a clicking in her ear, she pulls the bud out to look at it, "Keep that in your ear." Lexa still looking at the device and Clarke leans her chin on the nape of her neck. Lexa still can't believe the efect Clarke has on her. She thought after weeks of being together her hunger for Clarke would have subsided. Her pulse still quickens with every touch, feeling soft breath on her skin. She could let herself sit in this chair listening to music all day. Her lover's arms wrapped tight around her, she takes a deep breath and starts playing a song.

There is a yellow square in the tiny screen, block letters read Tonic. The song starts, a man's voice, then an accoustic guitar, :

 _If you could only see the way she loves me_

 _Then maybe you would understand_

 _Why I feel this way about our love_

 _And what I must do_

 _If you could only see how blue her eyes can be when she says_

 _When she says she loves me_

Lexa, walks hurriedly thinking of her meeting, of the generals she is about to address. Suddenly realizing she is walking a few paces ahead of Clarke, looks back with a smile and grabs her hand. Clarke is doing her best to politely smile and greet everyone. Fingers laced, arms wrapped, Lexa realizes she has to slow down her paces a little so they can walk side by side this way.

Clarke is becoming more and more comfortable with Lexa's casual public affection. On the Arc, with everyone's eyes on her calling her Princess she never felt very comfortable being this public about who she was with. After her father's death, during her year in solitary she had to learn to go with our physical contact. Her mom would visit every so often but they weren't allowed to touch. Clarke had forgotten how comforting regular physical contact was. And Lexa was very comforting.

Walking through this crowd of smiling faces, seemed less overwhelming with Lexa's warm skin against hers.

"Thank you for getting me out of the house," She smiles a little, "I'm still not used to being applauded, for the worst thing I've ever done. Like a deep wound it's getting better with time and sunlight." A gaggle of small children run by, all politely greet their _Heda._ Clarke smiles but they remind her of the children of , _think of the children of Camp Jaha_ she tells herself.

"Time will help you see the honor in your actions. You made the best choice for your people, so that they could have children of their own. Regret clouds the mind." Lexa smirks a little and adds, "And slows your steps, come on I don't want to be late." Lexa kisses the back of her hand and they quicken their strides.

Looking around Clarke still can't believe how different Polis is from TonDC, solar panels and wind turbines are on every roof. Music, flowers, art, smells of food, kids, so many kids. The street they are walking on is cobbled. Small drones humming over head, like a wild flock of birds. Ships on the water behind them, men and women hustling to unload their the commerce packed into them: ice, fish, cotton, leather, meat and the list goes on.

One of Lexa's guard, catches up with them, greets Clarke and begins to address the Commander in trigedasleng. Clarke only understands some of what's happening, Lexa abruptly stops walking, when Clarke looks over Lexa's face has already changed to Commander. Clarke is concerned, she hasn't seen this Lexa in weeks. All she can gather is that someone named Luna just arrived. Lexa let's go of Clarke's hand and adjusts her Commander's Stole, fidgets with her dagger and sweeps the hair back from her shoulders.

"Lexa, who's Luna?"

"My mother."


	3. Full of Venom

When Lexa walks through the door Clarke is packing her things. The pile of boots, clothes, painting supplies and books that used to reside in the corner is now partly in a bag, but mostly everywhere. She stands in the doorway for a minute watching, trying to make sense of the scene, meticulously planning her words. She takes a deep breath and pauses, then another and pauses again, unsure what approach to take. Clarke does not notice her as she walks around over stuffed bag in her hand searching the bedroom area for something, she gathers more clothes turns around and is startled by Lexa, black paint on her face, stoically watching her.

"I can't stay here."

"Clarke, please stop."

"Lexa, she's vicious!" Clarke is struck by the conflict in Lexa's face, she expected resistance but not this. She looks like a child, her green eyes stormy with emotion, darting from the bag in Clarke's hand to her face. Her agile mind looking for something to say. "I can't keep letting her use me against you, she's already got half of the generals wondering if you are fit to lead. I heard her convincing one of them this afternoon that my success where you failed in regards to means I should lead." Clarke pauses for a moment, and shakes her head when she realizes she can't fit anything else in her bag. "Why is she like this? What happened between you?" Lexa had been closed lipped about Luna since her arrival, Clarke didn't push, she decided that Lexa would talk about it when she was ready.

Lexa talked her into attending the council meetings while Luna was in town, "SkyKrew needs a representative, especially while she is here." Over the last week of daily council meetings Clarke had been the punch line of Luna's manipulation of the generals. At first it was minimal, she wouldn't stand when Lexa walked in the room, she would talk to her guard while Lexa addressed the room. Slowly it got worse, Luna started addressing Clarke when she spoke, not the gathered generals, not Lexa, spoke right at Clarke; asking her opinion of every decision that was being made, even on issues Clarke had not experience in.

"Clarke my mother is a master manipulator, she has very strong mind for dissent. She has always had an insidious effect on the alliance. Her intent is not to put you in power, she can't, that's not how it works." Lexa finally finds the strength to get out of the doorway, "I have had a lifetime of experience in how to manage her." She is approaching Clarke slowly and meticulously choosing every step. Her mind racing, trying to find the flaw in her decision to have Clarke attend the council meetings.

Clarke who is now sitting on the floor, finally looks up from her bag, which she has now completely dumped on the floor and is re organizing to see if she can fit more into it. "Well, however it works, it will have to with out me." Looking back down to her work she pauses and remembers the sight of Luna, challenging Lexa over and over in the council meetings, trying to fuel her resolve to leave. She knows that if she keeps looking at the face Lexa is making and listening to her sure calm voice explain away the panic she will stay. "Clarke please, you are safest here, in Polis, with me. And my guard." Clarke knows that if she stays she will have to go back into the meeting tomorrow and sit in the same room with a woman who's green eyes and low voice sound familiar, but who's words are poison.

"Did you hear what she said to me today? As everyone was leaving? She came over to congratulate me, again, on my 'triumphant and singular defeat of the menace in the mountain' she asked me if I fed the corpses to Pauna!" Clarke's hands are in her hair, they slowly come down over her eyes, she presses on them hard trying to make the images of the burning bundles stop in her mind. Large cloth bundles next to small cloth bundles. "I can't keep reliving it."

"You are right Clarke, she is cruel and full of venom. I wish I could sever my alliance with her but I can't, we need her, she moves troops and goods for us. Without her, the people I have in the north keeping watch over the Ice Nation would starve." Lexa kneels next to Clarke who is once again looking up at her. Her brow is furrowed, her blue eyes dark and full of water. "I have become accustomed to her relentlessness, she used to derive a lot of pleasure from hurting me. My emotions would get the best of me, when I would lash out at her and she would revel in teaching me how to suffer. One of my short lived tactics was to hide from her, this made the punishment worse. If you leave she hunt you for sport." Lexa presses her lips together, looks up, summoning the strength to tell Clarke about her past.

Clarke has a hard time not letting her imagination run wild with images of the tall blonde woman from the council meetings tormenting a small Lexa. "Clarke please do not look at me like that, I do not talk about her because I do not want your pity. I became more powerful and smarter than her a long time ago." Clarke shakes her head and starts to speak but Lexa who doesn't want her own resolve to waine interrupts, "After the bombs fell some large ships survived in the ocean, the crews on those ships over time became villages. I was born on one of those ships; Luna was young, and self-important. She was single-minded about becoming Captain of her own ship. When I was an inconvenience she found creative ways to minimize the time and effort of caring for a small child." Lexa now sat on the floor, legs crossed, looking at Clarke's beautiful face contorted with compassion. Clarke sat with her legs stretched in front of her, half full bag between her legs, hands resting on her thighs. "She was cruel, but I was strong." Lexa smiles a little, and reaches out to catch a tear rolling down Clarke's cheek. "She found work on a trading vessel, soon became captain and began stealing goods from other ships to sell them. She is a zealous captain, besides these green eyes and a few scars, what I got from her is a great tactical mind." A soft smile breaks from Clarke's lips, she puts her hand on Lexa's thigh. "Over the years her fleet grew, some of the ships and crews she boarded she kept, some she burned, some she fed to the sea monster for entertainment." Lexa pauses, reaches up to the table for a glass of water, Clarke remembers the dagger on Luna's hip, the one she thought looked like a tooth but thought it was far too big to be one.

While Lexa pauses, Clarke scans her face for Luna's features; same green eyes, same broad shoulder, long limbs, expressive face. Luna's hair has been bleached by the ocean, it is blonde and straight, her skin is fair except for the freckles, which are somehow disarming. A tattoo on her face does a bad job of hiding a scar that spanned from her hairline to her upper lip, jumping over her eye and tells the story of a violent past. She takes the cup from Lexa's hand and steals a sip, "What about your father?"

Lexa shrugs, takes her cup back, "Probably someone she needed to manipulate." Clarke turns, puts her legs on either side of Lexa pushing her unpacked things out of the way, rests both hands on each of Lexa's legs. Lexa draws strength from this affection, she starts to realize that finally sharing this difficult story with Clarke is healing. "One day she traded me to the people of the forest for some horses." A chill ran up Clarke's back, she takes a long cooling breath, letting it subdue the rage building in her body. "Anya was younger than we are now, she was second to the war general, it was her responsibility to acquire goods from Luna. She saw the condition I was in and initiated the trade, when she saw that my spirit was strong she made me her second." Lexa straightens her back and reaches into her pocket to pull out Anya's braid, Clarke is surprised by the sentiment. "She taught me about honor, about taming my heart and useing my head to win a fight, to inspire warriors and lead them. She taught me how to survive in the forest, how to stop being fluid as the water and become strong like the trees. When the last commander was killed in battle she entered my name into the Conclave. The culling process is arduous, there are many opportunities to demonstrate the strength of one's spirit. She believed in me, she was the first to tell me I had a Commander's spirit. I was younger than Anya was when she took me in." She carefully places the braid in her pocket again and reaches for Clarke with both arms and they embrace for a moment, with a swift motion pulls the small blonde on to her lap, they settle in together, their torsos falling into familiar comfort, Clarke rests her forehead Lexa's. Lexa speaks soft and low, "My mind is strongest with you by my side. It is never more sure than when you are standing next to me and we are making decisions and plans together. When you are away from me, especially when I fear you are in danger I can not think of anything else but protecting you."

Clarke opens her eyes to find tears are welling up in her the green eyes in front of her, it takes her back and pulls her face away from Lexa's to see her better. Lexa blinks her eyes dry, Clarke catches the tears with a finger at Lexa's chin. As Clarke nods strands of hair fall on her face, "Ok." she whispers and places a sweet kiss on each of Lexa's eyes, "I'll stay here. But we need to send people to Camp Jaha. People who know Luna's tactics. I don't want them to be blindsided by her." Lexa nods and leans in for a kiss, Clarke's eager mouth opens and accepts it. Clarke's arms wrap around Lexa's neck and head as she draws her in for more. Lexa's hands had been resting on Clarke's hips but now move up and disappear beneath her clothes. Clarke pushes Lexa back and lays her on the floor, kissing her deeply, her left hand slips up Lexa's stomach and ribs, resting for a second in the place where she added to Lexa's scars. Lifting up her clothes, Clarke leans down and kisses Lexa's still pink scar. Lexa reaches up and wraps both hands on Clarke's face, bringing it back up for a kiss, when Clarke pulls back to bite her own lip and push her hips down harder on Lexa's, Lexa sees black paint smudged on her face. "Clarke, your face."

"I don't mind." She leans down for another passionate kiss.

Lexa pulls her back again to see her face again smiles widely, "No, I mean, it's pleasing." Clarke smiles with an open mouth, reaches for Lexa's wrists and pins them over her head. The brunette willingly submits, and hides her face sideways in her arm. "Do with me what you must." she teases with a sideways glance. Clarke bears down, laces her fingers with Lexa's and rests her whole weight on the young woman below her, she can feel Lexa breathing heavily, her heart pounding through the layers of clothes, and she leans down and softly rubs her nose to the skin behind Lexa's ear. A laugh erupted from her now not so willing victim, "Not that! It tickles! You know I don't like it!" Lexa's strong arms quickly escape Clarke's grasp and push Clarke back, and almost off her completely.

"Alright, alright, I won't do it again." Clarke holds her hands up by her head, smiling and looking down at the powerful and beautiful woman beneath her. She is slowly lowered and tentatively allowed to continue, when she reaches the hem of Lexa's shit she squirms again, "I'm not going to do it."

"I don't believe you."

Clarke can't help but smile, she's trying to be sincere but she can't sell it. "I promise!" she says with a laugh.

Lexa is now sitting up, holding Clarke's wrist at her hips, she says emphatically, "I do not believe you. Your words do not match the crazed look on your face." Clarke's blue eyes are bright, and full of life. "I am the Commander, I will not be tickled." Clarke leans in for a kiss and Lexa playfully purses her lips. "No." She pulls her head back, Clarke kisses her again and receives retracted lips again.

"Oh no! What can I do to regain your trust?" Clarke dramatically implores, still unable to control her smile her eyes dance and sparkle with excitement.

"You can clean up your mess." Clarke looks behind her, she had forgotten all about her packing. As she asses the aftermath of her a panicked packing Lexa lands a soft kiss on her neck.


	4. Abbey

"This place is incredible."

"I know, I've been here for over two months and I still can't believe it." Clarke and Abbey are sitting outside sharing their first meal in Polis, even though the cold has settled in for the winter and the people of polis are doing their best to avoid it's bitter bite. "Thank you for agreeing to represent the Arker's at these council meetings. I'm sure Camp Jaha is very busy." Clarke had exchanged a few letters with her mom since arriving in Polis but she was by no means in regular contact. Their interaction felt a little forced and Clarke was trying to push past it and just be grateful she could let her mom be Chancellor and never sit in a room with Luna ever again.

"Thanks to Indira and her people we don't have to worry about eating this winter. Did I tell you they helped us make and fill a cellar? As you must know Raven is keeping busy making heads or tails of the technology from . Mostly though we are doing our best to make permanent housing for people before it get's really cold...we still have families in tents." Abby carefully scans her daughter's face for pain at the mention of and her friends. None can be found. "You look good Clarke. How are you feeling?"

Clarke nods and smiles at the compliment. "I have good and bad days, more good than bad. The people here are very grateful, and they give me my space, which helps. Luna has been hard to deal with though. She comes after me a lot and it's hard to stay positive."

"Is this Luna person as bad as they say?"

"I don't know what they say, but she is pretty bad. I can't believe she shares DNA with Lexa." Clarke says shaking her head and looking down at her food. Polis food was simple, the few restaurants in town only offered two or three items; this time of year it was some kind of meat or soup root vegetables.

"It does explain a lot about her though." Abby says absently.

"Who Lexa? How do you mean?" This was a new experience for Clarke, having her mother carelessly judge the person she was with. Before they came to the ground Clarke was a kid, who she dated was of no consequence to Abby.

"I just mean she is so stoic, so cold hearted, so distant. Her environment growing up probably has a lot to do with that."

"I wonder what people who don't know me very well say about my growing up." Clarke, regretted cutting her mother like this almost as quickly as she said it.

"Don't get defensive, I know you two are friends. You saw it on the Ark honey, kids raised by parents like that are always a little off." It dawns on Clarke that she never told her mom she was living with Lexa. Abby finally looks up from her soup to find a very upset Clarke staring at her, mouth slightly open, eyes narrowed, hand flat on the table. "What?"

"You don't even know her. How many times have you even talked to her? People can overcome all sorts of things mom, with enough determination anything is possible." Clarke is regretting having kept their correspondence on herself, talking bout how she was settling in, that she was safe, and how amazing Polis was. Her mother looked thoroughly perplexed by her defensive posture. "I'm sorry for raising my voice." She takes a deep breath and tries to settle back into her warm lunch. "Let's not talk about Lexa."

"I still can't believe you came here with her."

"Mom!"

"What? After what she did. She's pretty two faced for someone who talks about honor and duty all the time." Sometimes she could hardly believe that the girl sitting across the table from her was her sweet, smart, caring daughter. "I'm almost shocked she didn't leave you in the forest as soon as it became too inconvenient to bring you all the way." She was doing her best to keep her voice down, but her body language could be heard for miles. "I don't trust her and neither should you."

"Wasn't it you who taught me about second chances? Or are you the only one deserving of my forgiveness?" Abby narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"I don't want to fight with you mom. Lexa has been a huge part of my recovery. She is kinder than I would have imagined, I hope you give her a chance to demonstrate that to you too." After a sharp deep breath from both parties and an unspoken truce, "Did you know I talk to Raven once a week? I can't believe she got the signal all the way here." Abby nods, happy for the change in subject. "With out it I wouldn't have been able to get word to you about these meetings so quick."

The rest of the meal was spent talking about rebuilding TonDC, about recuperating from the horrors of , and about how quickly the Ark kids are picking up trigedasleng.

After their meal the two walked arms linked through Polis, Clarke showed her all the places she likes to go paint, the best fruit vendor, and the apothecary. Stopping every so often so Abby could rest, her bones still not completely healed from the marrow extraction. As they approach the barracks the sun is starting to go down. "I hope you like your room. I'm sorry there are so many steps. Lexa's guard lives on the first floor."

"It's great honey," Abby looked around her small room, her things had been brought inside no doubt by Lexa's people. "If you see Lexa tell her how grateful I am that she is letting me stay here while the council meets."

"You can tell her yourself. I'm sure she'll be by to see that you are settled soon. I left a walkie on your nightstand, I can be down here in a few seconds if you need anything." She leaned in to hug her mother. It felt good to be a few steps away from her again. "I'm really glad you're here mom."

Lexa was sitting at the table in the middle of the room, with her back to the door. She didn't respond to Clarke's greeting when she walked in but that wasn't uncommon. Lexa would get so lost in thought over her maps re-counting all the little dots and triangles and squares she made on them. Clarke walked up behind her, she couldn't wait to get her hands in that hair, to smell Lexa's skin, to kiss her girl. As Clarke reached her hand around Lexa's neck, to pull her jaw up for a kiss, Lexa flew out of her chair, grabbing and twisting Clarke's hand until the small blonde was standing with her back towards Lexa and her arm folded at her back. Lexa's other arm wrapped tightly around her throat.

"You should not sneak."

"Hi baby I missed you." Clarke's voice was strained, "I'm sorry I scared you." reaching up with her loose hand and gently tapping Lexa's arm, "Can you let go please, I need my arm...for things."

"I do not get scared." quickly loosening her grip, "Did I injure you?" Clarke shakes her head as she turns to face Lexa. "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have sat with my back to the door. I was lost in thought over these maps, the Ice Nation uses the cold as cover to encroach on our lands." She reaches up, cups Clarke's face with both hands kisses her sweet after each question. "How is Abby? Does she like Polis? Did you explain what is to happen tomorrow?"

"Good. Yes. Yes." Clarke leans in to nuzzle Lexa's neck, and long arms wrap around her shoulders. "Why do you smell so good? You should really go down there and say hello to her." Lexa steps back and Clarke looks confused.

"She should come to me. I am Commander. She is in my city, in quarters I provided," There is a knock at the door, Lexa absently steps over and opens it while she continues, "She should be adapting to our customs. Why should I adapt to hers? " A young girl walks in with a large tray, she sets it on a side table with two wooden chairs on either side and begins to set out a dinner.

"Because she is my mother, because Dr Frankenstein in the mountain wrecked her knees, and because I said that you would." Lexa frowns and blinks hard with disbelief, she is not convinced by this reasoning. "Look, it means a lot to me that she came, herself. Frankly she's a little spooked about Luna. A few words from you could go a long way." Clarke had Lexa in her grasp again, arms wrapped tight around her waist, hips and thighs touching. She starts to sway a little, simulating slow dancing but their feet are firm on the ground. "Just go down there, be charming, and sweet, and when you get back here after we eat, we can have a bath together." Lexa looks over at the girl setting out dinner who is trying desperately to not listen. The tall brunette smiles and shakes her head at Clarke.

"Ane, does not need to learn how quickly you persuade me. I must appear to be impermeable to my people."

"Ane is going to take our secrets to the grave. Right Ane?" Clarke gives the girl a sideways smile. The girl is finally finished, she stands next to the table staring at the floor until Lexa dismisses her. When Clarke has removed her boots and jacket, she walks over to Lexa who is starting to pick at the food. "Come on babe." she gives her a playful smack on the thigh as she walks by. Lexa looks up with a start, sucks her fingers clean, turns on her heals and does as she's told.

Lexa's hair drapes off the edge of the claw foot tub as she lays in the warm water, her arms resting on the tub's edge. Orange light dances from candles on the floor. Her eyes are closed and her expression is relaxed. Clarke finally pads into the room, shuts the door to keep the warm in, and quickly gets in the warm water, settling in between Lexa's legs, leaning her body back, and resting her head on the Commander's collarbone.

"She wanted to know how to make her room warmer." Lexa hums in acknowledgement. After a little while Lexa's hands slip into the water, find Clarke's and their fingers lace. "Try not to walk so fast tomorrow when you take her to the meeting." another humm.

Lexa opens her eyes, lands a soft kiss on Clarke's cheekbone right next to her eye.

Lexa's hand comes up out of the water and rests on Clarke's jaw, her wet fingers tangling in straw blonde hair. Causing Clarke to turn into the kissing, until she is straddling Lexa. Lexa's hands are now back underwater feeling and squeezing the tight body on top of her. Clarke holds the brunette's face in both hands and kisses her deeply. So deeply and so passionately that they both forget about the world outside their tub, in this moment nothing exists but them. Small moans are starting to emerge from the young bodies in the water. Lexa's hands squeeze Clarke's thighs, move up to her hips and she digs her thumbs into Clarke's hip bones. Clarke's hand are moving down Lexa's chest, stopping to feel her collarbone, to squeeze Lexa's strong shoulders. She can feel Lexa's hips start to grind, as her strong hands pull her hips down on to her own. Clarke lands soft bites on Lexa's lip, chin, jaw and ear and she whispers, "Touch me."


	5. Sea Monster Dagger

**Thank you all for reading my Fic. I've never done this before. I'd love some feed back.**

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Clarke realized she was being followed a few minutes after she left the safety of the barracks. Lexa liked her guard well fed and imposing like the trees in her beloved forest, arms and legs thick and long, hair mildly tamed by braids, and dark clothing to help them hide in the canopy. Luna's warriors reminded Clarke of acrobats she had seen in old videos on the ark. They were slight, muscles wrapping around their bones like ropes, more often than not they kept their hair short, almost non-existent. No furs, no leather, mostly woven and knitted items dyed a deep green, faded by sun and salt in uneven patterns. She had spotted two moving along the uneven rooftops in the later morning as she made her way to The House to meet Lexa and Abby.

The House was an old colonial era building that had mostly survived the bombs, long stone steps leading up to tall thick columns, it was imposing in all the right ways. The council meetings were held in one of the large chambers, Lexa's throne sat high over the other tables and chairs, each unique carefully depicting it's tribe.

Clarke liked taking the scenic route around Polis, Lexa often lectured her about not wandering around alone, especially since Luna's arrival. She could have walked right out of the building, across the field where warriors trained every day, and down a straight road leading directly to The House, past weapons vendors of every kind. Today she felt like wandering, past the butchers, and the bakers, she wanted to see on the progress of a new pair of boots she had talked to a cobbler about. She was desperate to enjoy warm after almost a week of bitter cold and rain, however the acrobats on the rooftops were making her very nervous.

Looking back to make sure her own guard was still trailing her, she couldn't tell if they had spotted the Luna's lizards climbing and jumping from building to building. After a couple of erratic twist and turns through the village she felt like she had shaken the acrobats, but she quickly realized she had also lost her guard. The streets were crowded, the sun had brought everyone out. Through a deserted alley she spotted The House and decided she had enough meandering for one day. She took a deep breath, scanned the rooftops again, tapped the pistol strapped to her thigh, and zipped her jacket all the way up. She moved quickly through the alley trying also not to make too much sound when her boots hit the cobbles beneath her. She was almost out of the dark alley and into the safety of sunlight, close enough to The House she could see her mother standing on the steps waiting for her.

"Hey hey Skygirl." Luna's alto voice poured into her ears sending chills down her back, freezing her feet. She didn't need to turn around to know it was her, and she begged her legs to react and take her into the safety of the light but she couldn't move. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" there was something about Lexa's voice being used by Luna to to tease her that rendered all of her usual survival instincts useless. Just as she got her legs to start working again she felt Luna's hand wrap around her left arm roughly spin her around. Lexa's mother towered over Clarke, making Clarke feel small, fragile even. Luna's long blonde hair twisted and knotted into ropes, cascaded around her face, reminded clarke of medusa, green eyes focusing all of her menace at Clarke. "I hope you don't mind me having my boys track you down, I've been missing you skygirl." Clarke tries to shake Luna's grip on her arm but it's like a vice. Luna's other hand reaches down to the dagger hanging from her hip, it's made entirely of sea monster tooth, with a tightly wound bit of rope for a handle. Her face twists into a snarl accentuating the long scar from her hairline to her upper lip, "Don't be rude Skygirl, I just wanted to see you in private, you know how jealous Lexa can get."

The mention of her love's name snapped something in Clarke, with a sudden rush of courage and strength she reached up with both hands grabs Luna's collar and headbuts the bridge of her nose. The searing pain sending stumbling backwards, blood pouring from the cut on her face. Clarke turns and runs. "I love it when you play hard to get Skygirl! You tease me with a chase! Run little kitten!" Flashes of Lexa's story of growing up with Luna fueled her feet. Quickly reaching the clearing before the stone steps, the sunlight suddenly making her visible to both her mother and guard who had come into the clearing from a different alley.

She turned to them and pointed back into the alley trying to catch her breath. Abbey having also spotted her was moving a quickly as she could towards her. When Clarke looks back into the alley Luna and her pets are gone.

The frenzy over Luna and Clarke's encounter died down fairly quickly. After being lead inside Clarke stands wiping her face and calming her nerves while her mother rages and Lexa watches her from across the room occasionally agreeing with Abbey with a nod.

"Mom, it wasn't that big of a deal. She just likes to scare me."

"Honey, she's clearly dangerous."

"Mom, I'm fine." Lexa knew better though, quietly walks over to Clarke grabs her hand and heads out of the room. Abbey calls after them once or twice, but she knows better than go chasing after them.

Lexa and Clarke walk down the stone steps, across the clearing, in front of all the weapon's shops and into the field inside the walls of the barracks. Young men and women are gathered in clumps of four or five, training with various attack modes, some grappling, some smashing swords on wooden dummies, archers and those throwing daggers near the back. They walked in silence. Lexa nodding to her young warriors as they called _Heda_ to her.

Weaving between clumps, Lexa stopped in front of the group grappling. Six warriors stood around a circle, inside a young man and woman stood hunched. The electricity of Lexa's approach sparks excitement inside the soldiers, some began hooting and whooping like a pack of dogs. Energizing the two in the circle, suddenly they start throwing strong determined arms to each other. The woman is quicker and stronger than her large frame would indicate she takes her opponent down and pins him in a few quick moves. After him three more opponents were made quick work of. Lexa's presence and the young woman's victories start drawing a crowd around the circle. The next challenger is a much slighter young man, he is nimble and fresh and gives her more work that her previous opponents. Sweat pours from the young woman, her two thick braids knit close to her head and down her back are soaked, blood drips from her nose to the mud below their feet. With a blow to the head she stunning her smaller prey and in a second she picks him up and sends him flying into the gathered crowd. Cheers, howls, and clapping fill the courtyard.

Lexa throws up her hand, they quiet instantly. "Are you the one they call Nasa?" a quick nod is all she can muster while catching her breath. "Would you do Clarke the honor of being her guard?"

"Yes Heda."

"I do not need a guard!"

"Clarke it is clear from today's events that you do."

"Come on! I'm not so fragile, I got away from her didn't I? I'm armed you know."

"Yes you did, those who saw her after say you likely broke her nose. However, it seems your weapon, was rendered useless today."

"Are you doing this because my mom's here?"

"No, I'm doing this because mine is."

Clarke lets out a loud sigh, "Ok, how does this work?"

"Much like it did in the field of battle, before you leave our home send one if the guards at the door to get her." Lexa watches as clarke removes her holster, and hangs it from her messy chair. "She will be with you at all times when you are not with me, my guard, or in here." Clarke rubs the sore spot on top of her head.

"Ok."

Lexa opens her arms and Clarke walks in for a hug, she gets a quick kiss on her head, "She's pretty scary huh?" The small blonde nods into the Commander's shoulder.


	6. The Challenge

The setting sun casts long shadows on Polis, as Lexa makes her way to an open field where some warriors are training on horseback from a nearly demolished building with an ornate Roman arch as it's doorway, remnants from the naval academy. Immediately spotting Clarke sitting alone on a bench lost in a drawing.

"Where is Nasa?!" Lexa calls as she approaches, Clarke looks up and smiles at the sound of Lexa's voice. She is walking with her hands in her pockets, sore from a full day of training, her tight fitting long-sleeved white shirt covered in dirt, blood and sticky from sweat. Dangling from her shoulders two thin leather braids, down to her waist holding up black pants that are perfectly tailored, tucked into her kneehigh boots. "I said; I believe I ordered Nasa not to leave your side upon penalty of death." She says leaning down to kiss the top of Clarke's head as she closes her sketch book and carefully places it in her backpack.

"What is all this blood? You said these exercises were benign." Lexa raises an eyebrow having forgotten she is covered in blood. Clarke is on her feet running her thumbs over Lexa's nose, and eye sockets, then her hair line. Lexa revels in Clake's fussing, for a moment forgetting they are standing in public, closing her eyes leaning her face into Clarke's touch. "Who's blood is this?"

Lexa grabs the fussing hands, "Clarke your distractions won't work: where is Nasa?"

"It's not her fault, I sent her to get those delicious cookies from around the block. The guy flirts with me too much and it takes too long to get them when I'm there."

Lexa straightens her back, "Which guy? I will kill this inappropriate baker _guy_."

"Lexa, please settle down, he's a really good baker. I thought training have worn you out." Clarke lands a solid kiss on Lexa in hopes of distracting her.

"I cannot allow anyone to disrespect you Clarke. It makes me look weak. I don't care if he is the best baker in woods clan."

Nasa approaches, a large white box in her hands, tied with a thin twine into a bow. Carefully watching her step, looking up to see where Clarke is sitting, recognizes the Commander standing there too and a wave of nausea kicks in. Nasa is wearing a minimal almor, and hangs heavy double sided axe from her hip, "Heda."

"What is this box?!' Clarke exclaims when she turns to the sound of Nasa voice, "I thought you were going to get us each _a_ cookie." Clarke gets between Lexa, who is still feeling punchy, and Nasa who is unsure which scolding she fears more.

"He recognized me as your guard. He said something about your eyes and the way you walk and started filling this box." Nasa's eyes dart from Clarke to Lexa. Clarke reaches for the box and takes it back to the bench to asses the contents, behind her she can hear Lexa in trigedasleng severely talking to Nasa in hushed tones. She feels a little guilty for getting her in trouble, but these cookies really are the best. Out of the corner of her eye Clarke spots the young man who must have been Lexa's unfortunate sparring partner for the day, blood pouring from a nasty gash over his eye, trying fruitlessly to make it stop with a bit of gauze.

Finally Lexa dismisses Nasa and turns her attention to Clarke and the box full of cookies, baked goods, and candies. "Bye Nasa! Remember tomorrow we're going to the beach!" Clarke calls out without looking up.

"I would prefer it if you wouldn't announce to the entire city your whereabouts. Letting everyone know where you are at all times makes it significantly harder to keep you safe." Lexa sits next to Clarke on the bench, "Let's see these sweets."

* * *

"Nasa, where are your people from?"

"A day's ride south of Ton DC, great battles were fought in my village hundreds of years before the bombs." Nasa walks ahead of Clarke, their hour's walk allowed for many topics of conversation. "Most of us are farmers, and gardeners, and hunters. Every year we hold a contest the strongest and bravest are sent to Polis to be in Heda's guard. My two other brothers are still home, helping mother with the hogs." Proudly she chuckles a little, and looks back to Clarke who smiles back at her.

"Why did you want to be in her guard?"

"She is our Heda, we must keep her safe. Now she honors me with keeping you safe. My mother is very proud."

"How long have you lived in Polis?"

"Five summers." Clarke thinks how young she looks, she must be younger than Octavia. She thinks about Octavia as they walk in silence the rest of the way, missing her friend. Musing over how much all of them had changed since landing, how bright eyed and naive Octavia had been trying to get Finn's attention, chasing butterflies. She thinks about the last time she spoke with Raven, her friend offering comfort and reminding her that Octavia is slow to forgive, to give her time. She felt so disconnected from her people here, but the distance was helping to heal the chasm left in her soul after .

Clarke was grateful to have Raven to talk to weekly, sometimes Bellamy or Monty would be there too. But Octavia called her a traitor, when she found out about Clarke and Lexa. "She left us to die. You are a fool to trust her again. To put our safety and well being in her hands again."

Clarke is snaps from her daydream when Nasa suddenly turns, pulls her axe from her hip, and gestures Clarke to get behind her. When she sees Clarke draw her weapon Nasa starts rolling her wrist and with it swinging her heavy axe. They watch three horses approach. Only one of them has a rider. "You must come quick!" as soon as the dropped the reins in their hands he took off back to Polis. Before she knows it Nasa is grabbing a hold of Clarke's leg and lifting her into the saddle, the second she sees Clarke is settled she slaps and sets the horse on a full gallop. Clarke is sure the horse know's it's way back to Polis as she looks back to see Nasa gaining on her.

Horses and riders are out of breath when they reach the barracks, Nasa and Clarke run up the steps to Abbey's room. The first thing Clarke sees are two healers attending to Abbey who has a nasty cut over her eye. "I'm alright honey. I just fell, I've gotta be more careful. Please stop fussing." She waves her attendants off.

As Clarke takes a seat on the bed next to her mother she feels a familiar hand on her shoulder, "Go, we'll be fine." she sends Lexa off with a soft kiss on the hand.

The room is cleared except for Nasa standing guard at her door. "Mom what happened?"

"I confronted her after the council meeting about what she did to you."

"Mom."

"I know, but I couldn't just let her get away with it."

"This is going to sting a little." Clarke applies a salve from a medical kit a healer left behind for her.

"Do you even know what this stuff is Clarke? Ok, I'm sorry. I should have known better. Anyway, I walked up to her as we were coming down the steps, and confronted her. Told her she was a coward coming after you in a dark alley. Anyway she just stood there taking it, with that disgusting, slippery smile of hers. Then I went to walk away and I tripped."

* * *

"We are in agreement Clarke. But there is nothing I can do. My hands are tied."

"How can we be in agreement if you won't do anything!"

"No one saw anything, and your mother won't challenge Luna. I can't just decide Luna is at fault because you say so. Even if I agree."

"How can you be so calm?! This ludacris Abbey can't challenge Luna, she can barely walk, you can't do anything because you can't, so...I'll challenge her."

"Absolutely not!"

"Lexa!"

"Clarke I can't. I'm not talking about this anymore."

"Lexa!"

"It would be hand to hand combat, each of you would choose a weapon, and fight to the death...don't look at me like that, you cannot use your gun. Even if you could, would you kill Luna? Would you do that again? When no one else's life hangs in the balance?"

"You're right."

"I'm putting a guard on your mother."

"She came with a guard."

"He's obviously useless."

"Stop!"

"What?"

"Now is not the time for a lecture or discussion on why grounder warriors are superior to those from the ark. Just don't. You can offer her a guard, that doesn't mean she'll accept it. Good luck talking her into that."

"I don't have to talk her into anything; I'll assign a guard to her as I assigned a guard to you."

"You are infuriating! I'm going to take a shower." Clarke grabbed a towel on her way back to the bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she stood for a moment willing her heart to slow down. When it would not she just started undressing, and got under the warm running water. She closed her eyes and let the dripping warmth calm her nerves. She knew Lexa was standing naked behind her before she could hear or see her. "What are you doing in here? I'm mad at you." Lexa pressed her body against Clarke's back, silently wrapping her arms around Clarke's waist. Clarke starts to protest when she feels a chin resting on her shoulder and she's completely disarmed.

Lexa finally feels Clarke relax into her. She reaches for the soap and starts washing Clarke, at first running her soapy hands along Clarke's back, then down her thighs and calves. Moving back up when Clarke turns to face her, arms, stomach, chest, shoulders. Lexa rubs her soapy hands on every inch. Before she reaches between her legs she gives her a soft kiss, drinking the water that flows down Clarke's face and into her mouth. After washing she carefully wipes away all the soapy residue from her skin, touching every inch of her again. She gets a knee buckling kiss for her work. Still in silence she reaches for and turns the water off. She drys Clarke, pats her hair to make the dripping stop and does the same for herself. Clarke stands with a small smile on her lips wondering what's next, her eyes narrowing off and on in disbelief of this enigmatic creature before her. Scars and tattoos telling the tales of the hundreds of lives she took, now carefully combing her hair, working a little oil into the knots.


	7. Lovely Singing Voice

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I hope you have fun reading it. I'm posting this chapter quick after the last because you all are awesome and I never thought I would have 50 followers in one week.**

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"What's with the beard?!"

"I've had enough sharp things held up to my face for two lifetimes."

"You look good B." The two friends embrace for a moment, until Bellamy pulls away to get a better look at his good friend.

"You too princess, you gaining weight? I'm talking to the Commander about improving your exercise regimen?" Over reacting to a well deserved jab in the stomach, "You've gone up at least two weight classes."

"I exercise plenty with Lexa. And don't call me that here, you wouldn't believe how much weight these people put behind nicknames."

"Polis looks good on you princess." Monty says as he and Miller come out of the barn where the horses were kept.

She reaches for Monty for a hug, "I didn't know you two were coming!" Miller leans down over Monty's shoulder and lands a kiss on Clarke's cheek. "I'm serious, don't fucking call me that here."

"We're backing up the big guy." Miller says with a slap on Bellamy's back. "Let's catch up later, we're going to go check out the sights." urging Monty to come with him.

"Where are you going? You'll get lost!"

"The barracks are those big buildings over by the water right?" Miller calls back.

"If we get lost we'll just ask where the princess lives!" Monty calls over his shoulder.

"I swear to God!" Clarke watches her friends disappear into the maze of Polis. When she turns back to Bellamy a grounder warrior stands next to him. Tall, slender, light brown hair braided back.

"This is Echo."

"I remember, you are recovering nicely." Color and tone were returning to the young woman, whose emaciated state Clarke nursed after caring for Lexa in TonDC all those months ago. All she receives in return is a slight smile and a nod; a response Clarke was used to receiving from tight lipped warriors.

"Let's go see Abbey." He throws a bag over his shoulder and grabs Echo by the hand.

As they walk Clarke leans and whispers. "I see you are altering your exercise regimen too, buddy."

* * *

"Bellamy! Echo! Just as I was beginning to get homesick."

"Monty and Miller came with me too, but they were swallowed up by the sights." Bellamy reaches an arm out and Abbey replies with a hug around the waist. The bruises on her face are in their last stages, green blotches lingering under her eye and jaw

"Did you tell them about our unpleasant green friends?"

"I didn't get a chance mom, they evaporated before my very eyes. Besides, our green friends don't even know who they are."

"Green friends?" Bellamy failing at keeping up with the conversation.

"Luna's people." Clarke walks to the small sink in the corner of Abbey's room and pours two glasses of water.

"You all have running water in this joint?"

"And showers! Ready mom? Let's go settle them into their room." Abbey was looking through some vials Bellamy brought her.

"Everything there chancelor?" Abbey nodded, collected the vials into a tin box and tucked them into a drawer.

* * *

After getting Bellamy settled in the two friends walked the alleys and shops of Polis. Echo stayed back to catch up with friends in the barracks. Clarke took him to the tailor, got him a shave, and then settled in a tavern for food and a few drinks.

"I can't believe this place."

"I know right, it took me almost a month to get used to the drones buzzing around. Too bad you can't stay longer."

"I haven't left yet Pr-" this time Clarke punched him hard on the arm. "Sorry." Bellamy is distracted by the sudden and unexpected presence of Nasa hovering behind Clarke's seat.

Turning to see what is causing her friend's alarmed expression, "Nasa! This is my good friend Bellamy. Bellamy, Nasa here is my Commander appointed guardian angel. Did you find the boys?" Nasa shook her head. "It's ok, I'm sure they'll find us. Sit down, eat with us." the body guard reluctantly obliges, and slides into the high backed bench as Clarke moves over. "Nasa here is a champion grappler. I'd like to see her toss you around the circle tomorrow and right-size your ego general."

"Ya, Ok. I hope I prove a worthy opponent." Clarke couldn't help to notice how much like a grounder Bellamy sounded, how respectful and deliberate his words had become in a few months. "Will I find you in the practice fields between the council meeting and the festivities?" Nasa looks to Clarke to confirm and nods excitedly.

A large plate of meats and vegetables arrives to Bellamy's delight. Two metal goblets bubbling over with beer and one with milk for Nasa. Clarke gestures for a toast, "To running water and exhaustive exercise regiments." the two friends toast and share a smile. They begin to explain the custom to Nasa and dig into their meal.

* * *

"Clarke you are drunk."

"And you are so sexy in your training clothes."

"I'm not wearing my training clothes anymore."

"No, you aren't, but you were, and now you smell like soap."

"Clarke please, I need to get ready. Tomorrow's the last council meeting." Lexa is failing at discouraging the slight blonde sitting in her lap. Sloppy kisses, land all over her face, neck, shoulders. "Bellamy is such a bad influence on you."

"It wasn't Bellamy, he left after Monty and Miller came to the tavern, he's turning into an old man. Monty had brought moonshine and um, herbs to barter with. And we had to show them, the tavern owner, the effects of the...herbs."

"If I'd known your friends would be such a bad influence on you, I would have set you up a bed in another room." Clarke settles her head Lexa's collarbone, resting her nose on her neck, in a second Lexa hears the rhythmic breathing that indicates a sleeping Clarke. "chof be kom God."

* * *

"How did I get back here last night?"

"Nasa carried you."

"I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be; She says you have a lovely singing voice. Drink this. " Clarke lets out a long moan and buries her face in her pillow. "Come on, the meeting starts in an hour, you still have to shower." Clarke crawls out of bed, chokes down the thick tonic and heads for the shower emphatically rubbing her face. After her shower, she forced herself to eat breakfast with Lexa and went through the details of the day. Kissing the commander before she headed out, warpaint, armour, and red stole trailing behind her. Regretting over indulging with her friends the night before with every movement Clarke quickly readies herself. Black leather jacket, gun, dagger, hair twisted back and out of her face. By the time she gathers the boys from their rooms and heads to Abbeys the tonic and breakfast have worked their magic and she's feeling back to her old self.

Jovially recalling the previous day and night's escapades the four friends walk a few paces ahead of Abbey who walks surrounded by her guard and Nasa. Monty's arm is wrapped over Clarke's shoulder. Miller is reenacting various exchanges, stumbling around and acting like a fool. As they reach the stone steps a somber mood comes over the group, they stand in a loose circle working out a few details before heading in. The boys, Abbey, and her guard head in before Clarke, she still wants to set a healthy distance between her and SkyKrew leadership.

"I'm sorry about last night Nasa."

"It is my honor to serve you Clarke."

"I mean, I'm embarrassed about how I acted, I'm sorry you had to carry me."

"It's alright, I am the same at the spring equinox celebration, only no one can carry me so I sleep in the tavern." They share a laugh before heading up the steps. "I was wondering though. Are all songs of the Skypeople so crude?"


	8. Retaliation

**Happy birthday buddy.**

* * *

Nasa lead Clarke up a back set of stairs to a balcony overlooking the council gathered below. She could see her small crew exchanging pleasantries with the other generals and their guards. The dull roar of voices making it hard for Clarke to make out specific conversations. She chooses a spot in the balcony with a direct line of sight to Luna, checks that her pistol has a round in the chamber before sitting in a chair Nasa provides.

As soon as Lexa walks in a silence falls over the gathered, she walks the length of the room, eyes forward, long determined strides, up to her throne.

"Today is the last council meeting of the session. Our achievements over this session brings me great pride; we have agreed on, and planned many changes for the coming year that will benefit every clan in the alliance. Preparations are being made to celebrate another successful season of council. We will pay special attention to SkyKrew, whose efforts to stop end the menace in the mountain were legendary. General Blake joins us from Camp Jaha, with an update on what has become of ."

"Heda. I am honored to be here today, in the presence of such great warriors…" He goes on to explain how the technology in Mt Weather is allowing communication between Camp Jaha and Polis, and his plans for rolling out radio technology to every village and city within the council. The room fills with applause and cheers.

After a few more formalities, Lexa dismisses the gathered. Clarke watches as Abbey and Bellamy approach Luna, she eyes him like a lamb on a spit. When he reaches his arm out, hers eagerly meets it. They stand talking shaking hands for a few seconds, then Bellamy laughs at something she says and slaps her shoulder roughly. Luna lets out the whisper of a wince, excuses herself and walks off. Clarke scans the room and finds Lexa watching the exchange from the balcony across from her.

* * *

Luna's fleet was nothing like Clarke imagined. No heavy wooden behemoths like those from pirate novels, these are sleek, streamline, solar panels on the deck, wind turbines up on the tallest masts. Nasa steps on board first, reaching her hand to steady Clarke and Abbey as they come aboard, medical satchels tight in their hands. The deck of Luna's main ship is crawling with green men and women, dripping from the masts, clumping in corners, slithering all around them as they make their way below deck to asses their patient.

Luna's cabin reminds them of the arc, tight efficient spaces, patched with whatever material is available. Everything in it's place; neat, organized, precise. The ripe smell of Luna's sickness is in starc contrast to their surroundings, even though she's been in this state for less than an hour. A thready moan slips past a heavy drape leading to her where she lays eyes swollen shut, sores covering her skin, sweat pooled around her. Her healers have done the best they could, covering any exposed skin with gauze and soothing salve.

"Luna, can you hear me? It's Abbey, we're here to help you. Clarke's here too you are going to be alright." All Luna can muster is moaning between laboured wheezing breaths. "Can we get some fresh air in here? And more light?" Luna's healers set to the task, ushering people out of the room, opening whatever cabin windows they can, in a few seconds it's just Luna, Abbey, and Clarke in the cramped room, Nasa stands watch just outside the drape. "Luna, I have to give you an injection." Abbey almost whispers, slow and calm. The medicine starts working almost immediately, within a few moments the wheezing stops, her pulse normalizes and Luna is able to take deep soothing breaths.

"I'm not sure how much you know about our lives on the ark Luna, you know, up in the sky. We grew plants up there, greens, small berries, herbs, medicinal plants. Some of those plants can only fruit through insect pollination. Do you know what that means?" Luna barely able to lift her swollen lids to look between mother and daughter.

"It means we were sent up with bees." Clarke interjects, "Have you ever seen a bee down here?" From her medical pouch she pulls a small vial with an even smaller insect. Brings it right up to Luna's face. "We didn't think so. Do you think maybe you were stung by a bee earlier today? Maybe that's what's making you sick. Don't worry this one's dead, they die after implanting their stinger. I'm going to leave it here." She pulls a thin leather cord from her bag, ties it around the vial and pulls it over Luna's head. Laying it like a pendant on her chest.

"You know, the venom in a bee is just as potent as that of a viper, that's a snake Luna. Have you ever seen a viper? A rattle snake? We found one near camp a few months back, two heads if you can believe it." Abbey is talking as though she is explaining something to a child. "Double the venom to milk. We use the venom to make medicine. She's a nasty little thing, always in a bad mood, always looking for a way out of her cage, to cause damage to anyone who has the misfortune of walking by. Even when we drop a mouse in there she snaps, trying to bite the hand that feeds her." As more of the medicine takes hold of Luna's body she is able to see her caretakers more clearly she painfully shifts in her bed, trying to sit up feeling exposed and vulnerable. "There she is, safe and warm in a cage with regular meals, and despite our best efforts to get along, she bites."

"How much do you know about ancient mythology Luna?" Clarke starts, "It is said that in the time before the modern age there lived beings that baffled the imagination. One of them was called Nemesis; she was known as the goddess of justice and revenge, she rode on a chariot pulled by a Griffin. A Griffin is a creature with the body of a lion with wings and the head of an eagle, can you imagine upsetting a creature like that?" Clarke reaches to check Luna's sores under her bandages and Luna flinches back bloodshot eyes darting between mother and daughter. "You have nothing to fear from us Luna." Clarke reaches into her bag and sets a few vials on a table, "These will help our skin heal, this one here you drink, it will help with the pain and swelling in your throat. Try not to talk for the next couple of days, stay indoors, get plenty of rest."

* * *

"How is she?" Lexa asked as when she heard the sound of Clarke putting her medical supplies away.

"Luna's going to be ok, we left instructions and medicine with her healer."

"What is happening to her?"

"Can't say for sure, it looks like an allergic reaction."

"Will this affect the people of Polis? Should I take measures to prevent its spread?"

"She was likely exposed to something: an insect, a plant, fruit, nuts. That her body wasn't used to and reacted as if that thing was poisonous." Lexa was dressed for the festivities already, a loose black tunic, with a single strap tied behind her neck, her large back tattoo and triumphant scars on display. Mostly leather black pants, accented with buckles and chains. Meticulously polished black boots. She is sitting on a chair, surrounded by 3 older women, two of them weaving her hair into intricate braids, the other trimming her nails with a small file. "She will not be in attendance tonight, but she's going to be fine."

"I got you something to wear tonight, I wasn't sure if you'd had a chance to get something."

"Where is it!?"

"Hanging of course."

Inside the tall wardrobe Clarke finds a gray suit, accented with black leather around the collar and pockets, white polished bone buttons, three buckles on each side adjust the fit. The pants are like the ones Lexa usually wears and have their usual braided leather suspenders. "Lexa it's beautiful. Thank you." She walks over, haunches down in front of Lexa, takes her face in her hands, "Why are you so good to me?"

"I'm glad you like it. Your tailor, Abbey and I have been conspiring for a while."

"I love it. I can't wait to put it on."

When Clarke emerges from her bath Lexa's attendants start working on Clarke. She sees in front of the dresser the new boots her cobbler was working on. In the hall Lexa is addressing her guard in trigedasleng. The attendants help Clarke into her clothes, then motion her to sit as they set to working on her hair and nails. Lexa reenters the room as the attendants leave.

"Oh la la!"

"I don't understand this expression."

"You look good baby." Clarke walks over to where Lexa is standing mindlessly fussing with her maps, clearly uncomfortable with the compliment. She is wearing her new suit with a black tunic under the blazer, there are blue gems in her own braided hair.

There are white stones woven into Lexa's hair, and a single white stripe of paint from temple to temple over her eyes, centered in her brow was a mandala different from the one she usually wore. The same basic wheeled pattern as before, but this one had 13 loops surrounding it. "The white symbolizes my hope for peace." As she is speaking Clarke sits on the table next to where Lexa is standing and pulls her into the space between her knees.

"Well it makes me wanna, you know." Lexa leans down for a kiss Clarke's hands slide under her shirt and landing on Lexa's warm skin. After a few minutes of passionate kissing Lexa is able to pull herself away.

"If we don't stop now, you are going to have to explain to those ladies why my hair needs to be rebraided."

"That seems fair." She goes in for a kiss, Lexa quickly draws back and bites her own lip. "Ok fine, are you doing my face paint or am I?"

"You are my companion tonight. Companion don't wear symbols because they are the symbol." As is common when Lexa explains her customs Clarke tries to keep herself from getting too upset before she's done. "Those people down there believe you are the single strongest and most frightening weapon in my arsenal. You burnt 300 of my men, you defeated the mountain, and you sharpen my mind." She reaches up to smooth the concern line working its way between Clarke's eyes, "To me, you are beautiful, kind, and brilliant gift that the gods dropped out of the sky." She kisses her slow and deep, pulling her hips forward pressing them against her own. Clarke moans into the kiss and Lexa pulls away again.

"What are you doing to me?"

"I'm sorry, I just cannot help myself."

* * *

The night had been full of merriment. Everyone ate and drank their fill; emissaries pridefully challenged each other contest of skill. After a few beers Bellamy challenged Nasa to a grappling match, which ended in a draw. Each clan presented a demonstration of their skills for Lexa; Luna's emissaries danced and jumped around acrobatically, Miller and Monty blew some stuff up, TonDC's demonstration included climbing and feats of strength. Clarke presented Indira with a portrait, thanking her for her many generosities. The highlight of the night came after Lexa's hopeful speech about long awaited peace and prosperity, when an archer fired an incendiary arrow from the rooftop of the barracks to an enormous floating torch in the bay which was invisible to the gathered until the fire from the arrow consumed it and displayed the pattern on Lexa's mandala.

After the musicians had exhausted themselves, and the emissaries had paired off for the night, and Lexa was out of stories to tell. After Clarke dozed off on Lexa's shoulder in the middle of Bellamy's story about disabling the acid fog, and Abbey was escorted back to her room by Bellamy with Echo under his arm, and Nasa asked to be excused with a slight stumble in her step. Lexa took Clarke by the hand and walked to the edge of the water. Looking across it with Clarke's arms wrapped around her ribs and her head resting on her shoulder Lexa promised to take her across the great sea, promised to see the world with her.

They barely made it into the stairwell past the guard's dormitory before Lexa pushed Clarke into a wall and kissed her with a hunger that took Clarke by surprise, pushing her whole body against her; one hand in her hair the other making it's way under her shirt. Clarke pushed her off and ran up three steps before Lexa had her again, this time lifting her off her feet and carrying her to the next landing only to press her hard against the wall once more and begin the work of seducing Clarke. With Clarke's arms and legs wrapped around her tightly, hands in her hair and on whatever exposed skin they could find.

"Remember what happened last time?"

"Everyone's asleep." Lexa says into her collarbone.

"That doesn't matter when it's your screaming that brings them weapons drawn from their beds."

"That won't happen this time."

"How is that?" Clarke into Lexa's mouth.

"I told them not to."

"What? When?"

"When you were getting ready." The thought of Lexa instructing her guard to let her have stairwell sex makes Clarke laugh the giggles infect Lexa too causing her to loose her grip, and gasp for air. Clarke falls to her feet, and leans on Lexa to muffle her laugh.

She finally catches her breath, "Did you tell Bellamy too?"

"I think he has his own screaming to worry about." Lexa leans down and kisses Clarke in the place on her neck that makes her shoulders drop, and her head tilt back. She slips the blazer off, then the thin leather straps holding her pants up, making them hang loose on her hips exposing a bit of skin just under her shirt, Lexa slips her hand down the front of Clarke's pants, pausing to toy with the tuft of hair before continuing their descent Clarke's arms limp at her sides allowing herself to be ravaged. Just as Lexa is getting ready to go inside her, Clarke remembers that her mother's room is only a few yards away.

"I think I hear something." She wraps her hand around Lexa's forearm causing her to stop.

"What?"

"I don't know, it sounded like steps." Lexa pulls her hand out of Clarke's pants and turns to face where the sound might be coming from, in a second Clarke is running up the steps, laughing wildly. Realizing she's been tricked Lexa grabs Clarke's blazer from the floor and takes up chase slowly climbing up the remaining steps knowing that with as much laughing as she can hear Clarke isn't going to get very far very quick. Lexa catches up with her as she desperately fumbles with the doorknob Clarke's hands tingling with excitement, breathing heavy through her smile.

"You lied!"

"Victory stands on the back of sacrifice." She turns and hides her face in the door, hands still fumbling.

"Would you like some help with that?" Lexa presses Clarke against the door, pulling her hair from her shoulder biting and kissing the exposed skin. Just as she is sliding her hand around Clarke's front the door knob loses its battle with Clarke's hand and she stumbles forward a few steps out of Lexa's grasp. Who is now outstretched her arms and widened her stance taking up the entire doorway. "I have trapped you!" Clarke removes her top and throws it at Lexa, "Get ready Clarke Griffin of the SkyPeople, you are about to witness something that's never been seen before." Clarke wiggles out of her pants, leaving them on the floor in a pile around her boots. Lexa steps in the room locking the door behind her, "So you won't escape again." she stops for a drink of water removing her own boots and top, she looks to see where Clarke is. All that's visible is the flickering light from a few candles, no Clarke.

The sound of the small blonde climbing in bed distracts her from removing the stones from her hair, "If you don't get in here soon I'm going to take care of myself." She can hear the smile on Clarke's face, with her pants still on she takes a running leap into bed making Clarke squeal with delight. "Now that _is_ something I've _never_ seen before."


	9. Reprecussions

**Repercussions: an unintended consequence occurring some time after an event or action, especially an unwelcome one.**

 **Brandy Carlile - What Can I Say**

 **I wanted to link to the translator I used but I can't.**

* * *

When Lexa grabbed Clarke roughly by the arm and started leading in her into the Commander's private training facility Nasa, who had been teaching Clarke Trigedasleng, followed and in a few steps had the commander by the arm.

"Chil yo daun"

"Em's ai duty kom protect her."

"Nou today, geda her things en teik em kom ai houm en hod op der gon me."

Startled and terrified, Clarke waves Nasa with a hand gesture they had agreed upon months ago. "It's ok. I'll see you in a little bit." Nasa finally lets go of Lexa and begins collecting Clarke's things. Lexa, still furious but more composed let's go of Clarke's arm, apologizes for her roughness, and leads her to building.

"BANTS OSIR!" Lexa waited a few seconds until she heard a door slam shut.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Luna is attacking the villages of the river tribe!" Lexa's voice echoed inside through the room for a few moments.

"What? How?"

"I just finished interviewing a survivor! ONE survivor of five decimated villages. He's an old man, he held no value to her. Anyone alive after the attacks is sold into slavery. He describes ships arriving on their shores, then a cloud of stinging insects. You should see the state he is in." Lexa is agitated, pacing and grinding her hands into each other.

"Why would she suddenly strike out like this? Retaliation? How does this hurt you directly? I -" there is a sound at the door they just came through, Lexa whips around and throws her dagger, landing it inches from Nasa. "Jesus! Nasa! I'm alright, please go!" After a hesitation Nasa turns and goes.

"Does she suspect anything?"

"No."

"How can you be sure?"

"Lexa!"

Lexa braces herself against a table, takes an extra long inhale arching her back, and let's out a long and ragged scream. Startled and terrified Clarke flinches at the sound. "I want you to tell me everything. Every detail." After her release Lexa seems calmer, but she can't bring herself to look at Clarke for more than a second or two; her eyes darting from the blue eyes to the ground and back.

"When Luna attacked me in the alley I noticed insect bites on her arms that were swollen and some looked infected. During one of my conversations with Raven she told me the farmer's at Camp Jaha had saved bees from the ark and were using them for pollination. She mentioned how some visiting farmers from TonDC had been stung and how badly they reacted. After mom fell, and you told me I couldn't challenge her directly, Mom and I hatched a plan. We presented it to you, we brought Bellamy, Monty, and Miller in. When the boys came up for the celebration they brought a few stunned bees with them."

"And you trust them?"

"Explicitly."

"How did you sting only her?"

"When Bellamy introduced himself to her, remember he slapped her shoulder? The bee was in his glove." There was a long pause between them. Lexa taking in the information and processing it silently as her eyes continued to dart around the room. "When her healers reached out to you, asked us to see her, you ordered us to save her." Clarke was getting agitated recalling the story, it had been months since she was under Lexa's command and being questioned like this was bringing back bad memories. "Like I told you that night, we administered medicine, left some for her healers, and left." Her temper bubbling up now, "You ordered us to save her, you needed time to replace her, that removing her at that time would send alliance and trade into chaos. "

"I know what I said; tell me what happened on the boat. My sources say she left here after the celebration, headed south and vanished into the swamplands. A month later she shows up on the river. The best we've been able to come up with is that someone in the swampland had them. What I can't understand is how she knew what to look for."

All the blood drained from Clarke's face, and her stomach turned. The image of her hands hanging the bee in a vial from Luna's neck was triggering a surge of acid from her stomach. "Oh God!" Tears filled her eyes. "Oh God!" She felt room closing in on her, it reminded her of freefalling, that sick feeling on the dropship before the parachutes opened when she was almost certain she was dead but didn't know it yet. She crumbled to the floor, and sobbed. Palms over her eyes pressing hard like a child trying to make the tears stop. Lexa, confused by the sight and compelled to comfort her knees on the floor and after a hesitation puts a hand on her shoulder. "Don't touch me! I did this!" Between choked sobs and gasps for air, her confession: "I was showing off! How could I have been so stupid!?"

* * *

Clarke is sitting vigil for the third night in a row, she won't sleep until she comes up with a plan. Her eyes are red from lack of sleep and too much crying. The acid in her stomach won't stop eating at her throat. She watches from her chair by the window as Lexa struggles for sleep, tossing and turning alone in the bed. At least she spoke to her today. After Clarke's confession, Lexa ran out the door, away from the sobbing mess on the floor, pulling her dagger from the door, and disappeared for two days. When she returned it was after noon, she was dirty and stank of the hunt, of needing to kill something, of misdirected rage, of disappointment in herself for allowing blonde who's messy chair had spread its territory to include a messy bookshelf and table to compromise her people in this way.

Not knowing what to say when Lexa nearly knocked the door down upon her return Clarke sat in silence, still as a frightened mouse, as the Commander gathered some supplies, washed, and left again. That night they shared a relatively silent meal, Lexa could see that Clarke hadn't slept and offered her music device. "The sound will help to clear your mind. Drown the doubt and fear. It will aid in finding your path."

Music had been pouring into Clarke's ears for hours, the same artist on loop. Soothing and heartbreaking:

And how many rules can I break?  
How many lives can I make?  
How many roads must I turn?  
To find me a place where the bridge isnt burned

Oh Lord what can I say?  
I am so sad since You went away  
Time, time ticking on me  
Alone is the last place I wanted to be

Suddenly, a little bubble of an idea, popped in her head. She shot up from her chair, trying not to wake Lexa who seemed to have finally found some peace in the bed by herself. Once outside their door she ran down the hall and up the stairs.

After waking Raven, and waiting until she woke Monty, and the three of them teasing out a plan for hours she returned to her darkened room and careful not to startle her, Clarke touched Lexa's leg to wake her before sitting on the edge of the bed within arm's reach. "Is everything alright? Are you alright?"

Clarke reaches down and brushes the hair from her face. "Everything alright, I'm fine. I was just talking to Raven and Monty on the radio upstairs. We have the beginnings of a plan to stop Luna." Lexa sits up, her eyes alert, her hands resting on her thighs. "Bees are delicate; sensitive to mold, insecticide, other bugs. If we can get someone on Luna's ship we can disarm them. That way she can't cause any more harm and we can move to replace her. I need to go to Camp Jaha. Come with me?"

"Tell the guard to inform Nasa. She needs to prepaire." When the blonde came back to her perch on the edge of the bed. Lexa had her own confession, "Clarke, I confessed to the council what we did." She grabs her hand. "I told them about TonDC, and about Luna. They have demanded to convene without me. If we can't fix this before the conclave chooses another Commander-"

"This will work."

"A new Commander can only assume the throne if the last one is dead."

"I'm not going to let that happen." Clarke doesn't let her finish.


	10. Trojan Whore

**I've been using lingojam as my trigedasleng translator. I wish I could link you to it.**

 **Besides the episode where the boys come to visit this is my favourite episode. I hope you all are enjoying it.**

 **There is a bit of violence in this and quite a lot in the next two chapters.**

* * *

In six months Camp Jaha had evolved past what Abbey and Bellamy described. Wooden Cabins with repurposed metal roofs, solar panels, and repurposed glass windows dotted the camp like saplings in a fallow field. A great garden near the brook on the far side of the fence. Tools, furniture, and technology from Mount Weather gave the camp a Wild West feel. Not wanting to alert suspicion the commander only took her and Clarke's guard with them.

When the seven riders broke from the tree line the guards on the wall called out to each other. Thanks to the radios they were expected. Clarke rushed off her horse and into her mother's arms, Raven got the next embrace, then Bellamy and by then a cluster had formed around her, hugging and asking questions all at once. The Commander remained on her horse until after Bellamy reached a welcoming hand up to her. Once dismounted she only addressed Bellamy and Abbey, instructing her guard with nods and looks. Clarke understood that this was all part of her persona and she complied by keeping her distance.

They were lead to a large tent where a feast had been prepared. Abbey and Lexa agreed to disguise their visit as the Commander visiting one of her Clans, in order to keep suspicion and gossip to a minimum. After the meal Clarke and the Commander received a tour of the camp, Raven explaining where each piece of technology came from and how it was helping to make their lives more comfortable. She took them to her new pet project; some of the scouts had found a dirtbike in an underground garage, she was trying to get it to run on moonshine. "Ethanol." Monty chimed in as he finally joined the tour.

When a rogue rain shower interupted the tour of the garden, the Commander, General Blake, and a few advisors broke off to look at maps and talk about the plan.

* * *

It is almost dusk when two figures appear on the dirt path leading up to a cabin, situated a mile from camp. Octavia is tending to the garden and is alerted by the loud call of a crow who had been perched on her roof enjoying scraps stolen from the compost mound.

"Get off my land!" She can't tell who it is, but she knows she wants to be left alone. Octavia wipes her hands on her pants, and starts walking towards the two figures grabbing a shovel before jumping the low fence protecting her harvest, "I said you are trespassing!" Lincoln who was in behind the house is now jogging up to her, when she can make out the faces Octavia can't hide her surprise at the identity of her unwelcomed guests, "Princess, get your dog and go!"

"Every tree, rock, deer, and blade of grass in this forest belongs to me and is under my command. You and the deserter Lincoln live here simply because I allow it." Her back is straight her hands are at her sides. "We have come to offer you a chance at redemption." Her voice is strong and loud and a little lower than usual. As she watches, Clarke realizes that Lexa was left behind by the brook about 100 paces back when she pointed out a blue bird on a branch; only the Commander stood beside her now.

"Fuck off you traitorous bitch!" As soon as the words leave Octavia's mouth Lexa lunges at her, a split second behind are Lincoln and Clarke desperate to get between them. "You come to my house, to talk about redemption? Offering me absolution?" Lincoln has Octavia physically restrained immediately. Clarke is fighting a losing battle, with every insult the Commander becomes more difficult to contain. "The nerve of you. Lexa." When the Commander pulls her elbow back to reach for her dagger Clarke slips her head under her arm grabs each leg behind the knee lifts and carries the raging warrior a few feet.

The shock of being lifted from the ground stuns the Commander, and gives her a second to cool off. When Clarke unwraps herself from the Commander her hands are up in front of her, palms out fingers spread apart. "Get a hold of yourself, we are here to ask for her help." The barely audible whisper brings a glimpse of Lexa back into the Commander's face. "Octavia. I know Raven told you we were coming. She didn't tell you the whole story; she's selling the kids." Confusion washes over the anger in her friend's face. "Luna is attacking tribes, anyone who survives she sells them into slavery, she's making a fortune off the kids."

"Get Monroe."

"She can't swim."

"Harper."

"Her trigedasleng ste worse than mine" She earns a chuckle from her friend.

"Raven, she loves this heroic shit." Clarke gives Octavia a bewildered look, throwing her hands up in the air exasperated.

"Raven? Seriously? If we thought anyone else could do this, we would have asked them. You are clearly trying to live a different kind of life here, but you are our only hope."

Octavia and Lincoln exchange glances. "Ok Princess, but I'm not doing this for her redemption."

"Indira will be pleased to know she was right." The Commander interjects finally speaks.

"Yeah." Clarke nods in the Commander's direction. "She offered your name before any of her seconds, said no one else would be able to learn what is necessary in the time we have." Clarke ads.

"What are you talking about?"

"Training starts tomorrow at dawn, someone will be by later to help you prepare." The Commander taps Clarke's shoulder and they both turn to go. When they have crossed the brook again, Lexa turns to face Clarke beaming with pride, "Where did you learn that lift? Nasa?"

Clarke had been keeping her eyes out into the forest, she had almost forgotten how beautiful it was. "Yeah, sorry about that." When she looks over, Clarke's heart feels like it's going to explode at the sight of Lexa's smile. It's been missing since the day in the training room.

"No, it was just right. She is less likely to let her distrust of me cloud her judgement if she thinks you are protecting her. I didn't know you could do that."

"You don't know everything about me." She teases and nudges Lexa with her shoulder as they walk to get another smile.

"Is that right Princess?"

* * *

There was a fine mist most of the morning, just enough water to make stones and stumps slippery, enough to irritate Octavia's eyes, enough to make her thin cotton clothes heavy and sticky, making the recovery from every takedown harder. Mud caking the bottom of their boots, weighing down their legs. Lexa explained that nearly everything on a ship is always damp, to expect slippery surfaces.

The previous day, Lexa's guard had prepared a fighting circle in the woods behind Octavia's cabin. Situated between trees and rocks just as Lexa had instructed. Every takedown and every misstep is a near miss with a tree or rock. Inside the circle Lexa demonstrates the fighting style that the boat people use, "It's important you understand how they fight so you can defend yourself. Your sense of space on a boat is very different than the forest, like the Arc but tighter and darker. We will do our best to present you in a way that makes her believe you are an escaped prisoner. I believe she will want to keep you for her crew, which means she will test your ability to fight. You must succeed and proof yourself valuable to her. If you fail at best you will be killed, at worst you will be sold."

"Who is this Luna bitch? How do you know all of this stuff."

"She's my mother." Lexa hates this part. This is the part of her story that makes people look at her a little differently. Like somehow the mysticism of being commander is lessened, she is less because she has a flawed mother, less because those flaws are that she is weak and cruel. The impending doom of Polis and the Council constantly nags at Lexa, making her impatient to get back to training, "Their fighting style is more fluid than that of my warriors, we rely more on heavy blows, long blades, and the element of surprise. On a boat your personal space is non-existent," She touches two trees just outside the circle, "Their bodies develop differently than those on land. We are smaller, but just as strong and more flexible." She begins to demonstrate how kicks, punches and throws are woven together like a dance. Flipping through the air while kicking. Levitating and manipulating her body in ways Octavia never imagined were possible.

"I shouldn't have called her a bitch."

"Yes. She's more of a viper. Like this." As Lexa pushes Octavia's body into the shapes necessary to execute kicks and jumps, Lincoln walks up. Lexa turns for a quick nod when he greets her with a reverent Heda. "Em speaks as osir do?" Nod from Lincoln "Well pleni gon Luna?" Another nod; she looks at Octavia and with raised eyebrows and a point of the chin asks for a demonstration.

"Ai dream gon the day ai bury ai dagger in your treacherous tombom." Lexa fights back a smile, but one corner of her lip betrays her.

"Lincoln, you know Luna?" Lexa leaves the circle for a glass of water.

"I met her once."

"You agree she will find Octavia, appetizing?"

"Like a mouse to a viper."

"What the fuck are you guys talking about?"

"My mother has many vices, pretty girls and boys ranks number one."

"I won't be your Trojan whore."

"I think you mean horse." Lexa goes back into the circle to demonstrate another move.

"No I don't." Octavia stands watching with her hands on her hips. "How do you keep your balance when you turn like that?"

From dawn until the June mid-day sun made it impossible to breath Lexa would train with Octavia, in the afternoons in the shade of her tent she would study her maps, discuss strategy with the general from the river clan, and sooth Bellamy's nerves. By night Clarke would verbalize everything that could go wrong with her plans offering possible solutions, working out every kink, until they fell into bed exhausted. Clarke spent her days working with Monty in Raven's workshop enlisting her help when their contraption stopped working, and then making her rebuild it after she pointed out that it was too big to conceal.

* * *

Lincoln watches from the house as Lexa and Octavia spar in their circle in the woods. They look like two sparrows to him battling over the same bread crumb. Black hair like wings spreading and whipping around, limbs flying through the air, bounding and spinning, using nearby trees and rocks as launching points. Everytime he think's one of them has the other pinned she tumbles and regains control, crawling over each other like Luna's lizard people.

"How much longer do I have, to get this right?" Octavia is gasping for air, pinned under Lexa's legs.

"Not long. Every day we spend getting you ready is another day a child becomes a slave." Lexa has a small cut over her eye, blood making a thin red line down her cheek like a single tear.

"How do I know you won't change your mind and abandon me on that ship?"

"How do I know you will follow orders and not slip your blade into Luna's heart the first chance you get throwing the allegiance and trade into chaos?"

"Good point."

"Move your head like this, so that your arm can go here. Octavia, the night before we attacked the mountain, when you threatened to expose the truth about the missile, I had one of my guard follow you into the woods to kill you." Octavia stops mid spin. "Clarke saved your life, she told me you were honorable and trustworthy. I promised her then and again when we agreed to approach you for this task that you had nothing to fear from me." The Commander's candor giving Octavia renewed determined to learn. Lexa pauses her demonstration and looks towards the man watching them nearby, she wipes at the warm blood tickling her chin. "Lincoln has explained how a new Commander is found?" Octavia nods drinking some water, "I believe the council is doing this as we speak. My life is in your hands Octavia. Bring your leg down here so you can turn like this."


	11. A long goodbye

**This is a short one but I'm on vacation with my family.**

* * *

The first time Nasa stepped foot on the Ark wreckage she looked terrified. Her worst nightmares realized. "Nasa, are you alright?"

"You were a child in here?"

"Yes."

"How did you play? Where did you run? How did you learn to climb a tree?"

"We had space enough to play and run, I learned to climb a tree from you, remember?"

"Where are your fields? Can I see where you grew food?"

"A lot of that was lost in the landing, it was on another part. Monty can explain it to you if you'd like." She shakes her head, holding her elbows too tightly against her body. "Nasa, you can go wait outside. There is nothing to protect me from in here." she nods and looks back where they came from. They reach the door to the workshop, it opens at the touch of a button, taking Nasa's anxiety to an all time high. "Really, I'm fine, and now you know where I'll be if you need me. Can you make it back outside?"

"Oh I'm going out." Raven offers.

* * *

Clarke and Bellamy lead Lexa deep into the Ark wreckage. To the unsafe parts, with iron beams crushing stairways, and exposed wires that Raven's apprentice is ripping out and splicing together to power Camp Jaha with the damn form Mt. Weather. Through spaces so tight they weren't sure Bellamy would fit. Climbing step ladders into the darkest corners of the Ark, until they found it.

"You think she's ready Commander?" Bellamy asked.

"Ready enough. What is this place?"

"This is where Octavia and I grew up." He tries the door, then leans his shoulder into it, then steps back and kicks it open. The sewing machine was still bolted on to the table but the table had been thrown against a wall during the landing. The entire place is at an awkward 45 degree angle. Bellamy leans down and opens the hatch in the floor. "She lived in here. Most of her life."

"Lexa, did you tell her what Luna was like?" Clarke finally speaks.

"No." Lexa can't take her eyes off the small space, a pink blanket is bunched in the lower corner. Flooding her usually neat mind with images of her own childhood, of tight spaces, and hidden safe alcoves.

"Babe," Clarke's voice pulls her from her trance, "She needs to know Luna puts people in cages." looking between Bellamy and Clarke she wraps her arms tight around her body.

* * *

"I think you are enjoying this too much Commander." Blood is dripping from Octavia's mouth.

"I take no pleasure in this." Lexa lands another punch.

"Are you sure." Octavia's voice is strained.

"If you trust someone else to know how much force breaks the skin but not the bone you are welcomed to pick someone else for this job."

Octavia looks at the gathered few, pointing at Nasa, "I'll take the fat one." Without warning Clarke lands a vicious left hook sending Octavia to the ground. "What the hell Princess! I think you chipped my fucking tooth."

"Don't be an asshole."

"It does make it a little easier." Lexa extends a hand and pull her pupil off the ground. When she's up Clarke roughly checks the cuts on her face, and the suspected broken tooth. Pressing hard on her cheekbones, jaw, and eye sockets. She nods at Lexa, another punch.

"How's it going little sis?" Bellamy is slurring his speech and can't seem to get his balance. "Did I just hear the word Commander come from your lips? Clarke I think that's enough headshots? No offence Commander." He lands a sloppy hand on Lexa's shoulder and she shakes him off.

"I thought you were supposed to be distracting Lincoln?" Octavia looks around.

"I tried getting him drunk, but then I ended up drunk, and then I lost him."

"We need to do a few body blows." Lexa explains. Bellamy steps back.

"Can't wait." Octavia quips as Lexa does a spin kick sending her flying backwards.

"Lexa! I swear to God, if you break her ribs I won't let her ride." Clarke leans down to check and a red welt is already forming. "That's enough. I'm calling the fight. I'm throwing in the towel. Her eye is really swollen. How many fingers am I holding up?"

Octavia holds up both middle fingers, "This many."

"I said, don't be an asshole. Go wash your face." She checks in her mouth again. "I'm going to have to come with you, I can't be sure she doesn't have a concussion."

"Clarke we discussed this." Lexa nods and her guards walk away, Bellamy lingers until Nasa throws her head to the side for him to follow her; they help Octavia to her feet. "I can't focus on what I have to do if I'm worried about keeping you safe. I am taking a healer with me. I know she's your friend and you are worried for her, I agree that we are asking a lot of her. But she is a warrior. And warriors are my domain."

"I'm worried for you too." Clarke takes Lexa's hand in hers and looks over her red knucles.

"That is unnecessary as I am Hercules made invincible from kissing a princess." Lexa knows her bravado is Clarke's weakness.

"That is not what makes Hercules invincible." Clarke squints in the sun and frowns trying to keep her smile at bay.

"It is not? What is?"

"I can't remember. I think his father was Zeus."

"Who was made invincible from kissing a princess then?" She lifts the flap leading to their tent and they both go in.

"I don't know. I don't think that's a thing." Clarke walks to a nearby basin and washes her hands of Octavia's blood. "You are very good at changing the subject Commander. But you are going to have to work a little harder than that. This is my plan, I should be there."

"Clarke, I love you very much. I am better with you than without you in every conceivable way, except battle. I believe your kiss makes me invincible and so it shall be. I am leaving in a few hours and I do not want us to be in a fight when that happens." She laces her fingers in her girls hair and steals a kiss from a frowning Clarke. When she pulls away Clarke is not frowning, she has a determined smile on her lips.

She backs Lexa into a nearby table pulling down at her neck and kissing her deeply, pressing her leg between Lexa's. Lexa's is a little startled at first but catches up and buries her hands deep in Clarke's hair, cradling the back of her head. As they kiss, Clarke's nimble hands make quick work of Lexa's many buckles and open her pants.

Lexa lets out a low moan when Clarke turns her and tears at her clothes. As her shirt hits the floor Clarke brushes brown hair with one hand while sliding the other up Lexa's ribs. She sinks her teeth into the back of Lexa's neck.

Clarke let's out a throaty laugh when Lexa's knees buckle and she leans back into Clarke who is ready to bear her weight pushing her hips into Lexa's. Pushing the muscular brunette forward so her weight is on her arms the blonde slides a hand down the front of Lexa's open pants and pushes her face on the warm exposed skin. Lexa holds her breath at the touch.

Panting and foggy Lexa turns to face Clarke who is leaning on her trying to catch her breath. She slides her arms around Clarke's shoulders and whispers, "You still cannot come with me."

Clarke lifts Lexa's arms off her shoulders ducks her head and turns for the door. "I'm going to saddle my horse." before she can reach the door Lexa executes Clarke's lift from Octavia's cabin two weeks earlier. She's off the floor and onto the bed with a thump. Lexa pressing herself down between her legs muffling raspy protest with her mouth. Nearly ripping every article of clothing she takes off. Lexa manages to strip her naked with out losing her perch on top of Clarke. They are a sweaty tangled mess, when Clarke's hands are not pulling her down to make sure every inch of exposed skin is touching they are in her hair pulling it back revealing her face so they can keep eye contact when the moaning starts.

Lexa keeps her eyes open, memorizing every second, watching Clarke's skin blush from the heat when they kiss. Following the beads of sweat down her neck to the center of her collarbone where it pools. Studying every color change in her eyes. Until they are exhausted and fall asleep, satisfied, in a tangled heap.

When Clarke wakes up, the sun is setting and Lexa is gone from the bed. She rushes to find clothes. By the time she makes it outside, she can see the last horse vanish into the forest.


	12. Too Soon

**What a wild ride…this was the first fan fiction I ever wrote, and because of your support and love I felt confident enough to bring the story to an end. Thank you for your support and reviews.**

 **I'm sure you'll let me know what you think.**

 _ **I wrote it listening to David Gray - Ain't no love**_

 _ **Once upon a different life**_

 _ **We rode our bikes into the sky**_

 _ **But now we're caught against the tide**_

 _ **Those distant days all flashing by**_

* * *

"It's too soon." Bellamy's voice was thin, like a whisper.

"It's too soon." Looking up from her book Clarke agreed at the sight of riders coming from the woods.

Three of the six horses that left less than a week earlier emerged from the woods, one seemed to be riderless. The gate was becoming crowded with onlookers as more and more people noticed the slow riders from the treeline.

Walking to the gate Clarke makes out the two riders and her stomach feels like the gravity went out in Camp Jaha. She pauses to get her balance and starts running to the gate, yelling that they open the gate. The commander, bloodied and weak barely hanging on to her saddle was leading a horse with a body wrapped in a fur, behind them, Monty rigid, in shock.

The gate opens and Clarke calls for someone to help bring Lexa off her horse. Her pants were shiny with blood, when two strong arms reach up and pull her from her leather saddle, blood that had pooled there runs down staining the horse below. "Where's Octavia?" Lexa moves her eyes from the blue ones in front of her to the horse with the wrapped bundle. Clarke looks to Bellamy who was standing beside her.

He silently walks over to the bundle, pushing aside anyone getting close and delicately removes his sister's body from the back of the horse. Choking on his grief he manages a single word, "Lincoln." Monroe throws her rifle strap over her head and without waiting for further instruction runs in the direction of the cabin.

As people start to chatter, and ask what's going on Clarke leads Lexa to their tent. Wetting a cloth Clarke washes the blood from Lexa's face, neck and hands, trying to understand the extent of her injuries. As the thick crust of foreign blood is lifted Clarke can see Lexa's skin is gray from loss of blood, her movements are slow and deliberate, her mouth is dry and when Clarke brings a cup for her to drink most of it spills out of her mouth. Clarke can tell without asking that she is weak and in a lot of pain.

"We were ambushed just on the other side of the mountain. They didn't track us down, they were waiting for us." As tears begin to form in her eyes, she bites her top lip, desperate to steady a quivering chin. "Octavia fought valiantly. She had a warrior's death." A high pitched whine rips from her throat as she tries to choke it down. "Indira was right about her being a fast study. She was honorable and courageous to the end." Coughing to clear her throat when the cup is brought back to her lips.

"Let's take your coat off and see where all this blood is coming from." Clarke puts her hands to the collar, it's also soaked in blood. Lexa will not budge, she sits like a statue only allowing sips of water. "Lexa please."

"I will not be healed Clarke. Not while my people still bleed for me. I need my long sword." With a surprising surge of energy Lexa stands and starts for the door. Her legs buckle under her and she falls to her knees. Clarke is right beside her, with hands soft around her ribs.

"Lexa, please."

"Clarke don't! I'm as good as dead. For the safety of your people I must be outside the walls of Camp Jaha when they come for me."

"Who's coming to get you? We'll fight them off."

"No, this is our way. You need to hide, do not go to Lincoln's, they will look for you there. You and whoever is harboring you will suffer the same fate. Is there a secret place you know?" Clarke's mind flashes with an image of the bunker. Her stomach is in knots, the anti-gravity feeling keeps creeping up. Even when she kneeling on the floor next to Lexa.

"You are delirious from the blood loss, let me take care of you and when you are better we'll come up with a plan." As the words leave her mouth, the alarm is sounded by the guards on the wall.

"Clarke please, the only comfort for me now is knowing you are safe. NASA!" The tall blonde charges in, "Emo laik coming gon her seintaim." (They are coming for her too.) Without a word Nasa reaches down and picks Clarke up off the ground like a child throwing her over her shoulder fast and leaving the tent.

* * *

A moment later they are deep inside the Arc. Raven leading Nasa still carrying a struggling and screaming Clarke into a glass room. The door opens and Clarke is roughly deposited inside in a back corner there is a bucket with clean water and a few pouches of dried meat.

"Don't do this! Nasa! Raven! Let me go to her!" Both of her friends walk far enough away to not hear her screams.

Outside Lexa has staggers to the gates, leaving a trail of blood behind her. "Stand down! Do not engage them!" she shouts to the guard over the wall. "Open the gate." Drawing her long ceremonial sword from her side, Lexa steps through the opening and greets the four charging riders with a war cry. Weak and barely able to stand she waits until the perfect moment to strike, knocking one off his mount managing to take the life of another. The remaining two rain heavy blows on her shoulders bringing her to her knees once again. They unarm her, bind her hands in thick shackles and deposit her on the dead warrior's horse, vanishing into the forest just as violently and quickly as they came.

* * *

Clarke emerges from the Ark wreckage near the electric fence. She looks up to the sky to asses the time. She is limping badly from a bloodied leg. An injury sustained from kicking her way through the ventilation system to her freedom. She wanders through the camp, gathering weapons, a head cover. Coming out of a tent the wind shifts and reveals the sickening smell of a burial fire. She turns and faces a large orange flame 100 yards away. Allowing herself a fraction of a moment to mourn her friend, and a whispered "May we meet again." She begins her search for a horse.

She makes her way to the stables, finding and saddling a fresh horse. As if guided by divine intervention she and her horse find the road to Polis. In the thick dark of night they finds the old paved road. She leans on the horse's neck driving it faster like Lexa taught her. Her steed grunting and sweating beneath her.

Polis glows warmly before her as the sun rises over the water, Clarke approaches the city from the beach, remembering the secret passageway Nasa showed her the day of her mother's attack. She dismounts the exhausted horse just inside the city walls. Polis is still sleepy, it's residents not yet aware of the tragedy about to unfold in front of the stone steps leading up to The House. Clarke knows that whatever will happen to Lexa it will happen in public. Deciding she has time to intervene.

With a cover over her head Clarke walks quickly in the direction of the darkened alley Luna approached her on only a few months ago. She has never seen more warriors in the streets of Polis, the sight of Luna's slender green guard stop the panicked breath in her lungs as she darts behind an awning. Once in the alley she finds a way to climb to the roof. She watches for an hour desperate for a plan as a platform is erected, in the center a thick mast. It reminds her of the one Finn was tied to in the field in front of Camp Jaha.

The thought of Lexa tied to that pole send her into a panic, the more she struggles for breath the less her lungs seem to fill with air. Just as she feel the tunnel vision start to set in, choking sobs come. She muffles them as best she can with her arm. Desperate to stop them at first but unable she finally allows herself to sob until her back and her neck ache, until her arms are burning, and exhausted she crumbles further to the rooftop and sleeps.

She wakes to the sound of the gathered crowd. There are shouts for blood, shouts for justice and for death. Clarke is stunned by how quickly Lexa's people turned on her. Just a month ago she walked hand in hand with Lexa in the market, greeted by smiling faces, and extended hands.

There are enough people gathered that Clarke believes she can approach the podium undetected if she moves slowly and covers up. By mid-morning the sun is hot and sweat drips down the back of her neck. As she checks her gun and loads the chamber shouts call her attention to the mob below.

Lexa is brought to the podium by two hulking guards. She looks small, and broken. The guards are handling her nearly completely limp body roughly. Clarke struggles to place their faces. She thinks maybe she's never seen them before. As they loop the chains attached to her wrists to a hook over her head and pull until her toes barely graze the wood planks below, Clarke finds her feet and comes down in the shadowy alley.

Clarke begins to weave through the crowd. When she is close enough to see Lexa clearly her breath is caught in her throat at the sight. Her skin barely a different shade from the white tunic she has been dressed in. The back of it is dripping in blood. She covers her mouth so as not to cry out for her.

The generals of the 12 clans line up on either side of the podium down on the ground. Clarke swallows a scream when she sees Indira is first to administer a cut. Clarke can tell she averts her eyes the moment her blade penetrates the pale skin. Lexa has no visible reaction to the injury. Her eyes are barely open, revealing a sliver of what was once vibrant green.

Next is the general from the river clan, his head is recently bandaged covering one eye; an injury no doubt administered by Luna. One by one the generals take their turn, Clarke snakes through the crowd closer to her love desperate not to be noticed. When a familiar blonde pushes her way to the podium Clarke is close enough to smell the salt on her clothes. As Luna turns to the crowd raising her sea monster dagger to the sky, causing the gathered to scream and cheer, Clarke draws her weapon and fires.

Striking Luna in the chest and knocking her to the floor of the podium. Without hesitation Clarke drops the two guards on either side of the wooden steps leading to Lexa. The three loud pops startle the gathered and in the commotion Clarke climbs the wooden structure unnoticed until she reaches Lexa's body. Unable to pull her down she pulls her behind the mast to protect her from the arrows and daggers thrown by the gathered below. She fires two more rounds blindly into the crowd. Stopping the flying weapons long enough for her to spend another round on Lexa's chains sending her limp body down on a waiting Clarke.

Lexa is cold, Clarke pushes on her neck until she feels the echo of a pulse, "Lexa baby, I'm right here. We're going home, open your eye Lexa." Weapons start raining down again Clarke waves her gun wildly at the crowd, trying to identify her next target.

"PLENY!" a voice too high and young to wield that kind of power stops the flying objects and silences the crowd.

In the silence Clarke sits Lexa on the wooden planks, trying to revive her to no avail. She turns back to the the small figure climbing up to the podium. It's a child, about 12, shaved head, black leather cloak on their small shoulders, dagger at the small hip, face contorted in a grimace. "Jus drain ste odon, your gonplei ste odon!"

Clarke puts Lexa's arm over her neck like Nasa taught her, straightens her back, and starts pushing up with her legs just as she hears Luna's choked voice, "Where are you going Skygirl." The voice disrupts her momentum and she turns her attention to the woman still holding the dagger, and watches as it is plunged deep into her chest, under her ribs, through her right lung and into her heart.


End file.
